So when I drink water I always like cold water even if I’m in a cold environment. But that makes sense because I’m a warm blooded creature.
On the other hand snakes are cold blooded and they require external warmth so I could see them prefering warm drinking water. At the same time though, in a natural environment any water they drank would be cooler than the air so maybe cooler water would feel more normal. Also in a properly setup terarium a snake has ample access to warmth from other sources so they don’t really need the additional heat from warm drinking water so maybe having cool water would be a nice change and allow better temp regulation. But warm water also has the side benefit of helping boost humidity.
Anyways, this is just what I decided to overthink today. I’m also not talking actually hot or cold, just lukewarm or cool. What do you all think? Would my pet snake prefer to have their water dish topped up with cool or warm water?
I don’t really have an answer but I just want you to know you’re my people. I too will overthink random stuff.
Overthinking has to be my favorite hobby.
Are you sure? Maybe you should reconsider.
Same, but as a fun bonus, it’s also the constant source of my many anxieties
I can see an experiment coming on. Give your snake two dishes and see which it prefers.
I have been thinking that all day. But to do it properly I need a bigger terrarium and some more supplies. You can’t have the dishes be different sizes or that’s an additional variable. But I also want to keep a big enough dish that they can soak in it. They never actually do because I keep the humidity high enough but they should still have the option.
So I need to have a large terrarium with several identical water basins all in the same area. 3 basins would work (warm, room temp, and cool) but ideally I would have several set to various specific temps. Each basin should be able to be heated and cooled to reach a set water temp and which basin has which temp of water needs to be shuffled ocasionally to eliminate selection based on exact basin location or similar variables. That heating and cooling could easily be acheived with a peltier module and a temp sensor on each basin linked to a controller. You would also need a camera to view which basin the snake actually uses.
Of course I already know what would happen. I would spend a couple hundred dollars setting all that up only to learn that my single braincell possessing snake would only ever use the closest basin.
Yeha but it would be a sample size 1 study :/. We need more snake owners to chime in.
I think the reason we evolved to prefer cold water is because warm water is more likely to be stagnant and contain dangerous pathogens. The cold water of lakes, streams and springs was much safer for our ancestors.
i know my cats like it when i put ice cubes in their water tray during the summer. shit, one of them comes running every time she hears me open the freezer to get ice because she wants some, and it’s winter here. so get your snake some ice and a fur coat?
Idk I’ll ask my ex
Would my pet snake prefer to have their water dish topped up with cool or warm water?
This calls for an experiment!
I hypothesize warm water. Lowering their temp just to warm back up is probably hard on their system. However, warm tap water sits in the water tank and the old adage is that you’re not supposed to drink it. So warm up cold tap water.
But that makes sense because I’m a warm blooded creature.
It probabily doesn’t. Most likely it’s because what you grew up with. Like drinking water with ice if you’re from the US, or carbonated water if you’re from Germany. Anyway, totally off topic.
I don’t think your preference for cold water had anything to do with being warm-blooded. I grew up having mostly warm/hot water and still prefer it that way to this day because it’s what I’m used to. I think the majority of Chinese people would tell you the same.
